Flock by Wendy Delsol

Note: This review contains no spoilers of Flock, but may contain spoilers of the first book in the series, Stork, a review of which can be found here and the second book, Frost, a review of which can be found here.

Flock (Stork #3) by Wendy Delsol

Release Date: September 11th 2012
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Candlewick
Also by this Author: Stork (Stork #1); Frost (Stork #2)
Buy It: Book Depository

                       

I spend a lot of time complaining about how everything is a series, but sometimes I read a book with such an awesome main character that I find myself desperately grateful that the book is a series. And so it was with Stork by Wendy Delsol, the first book in a trilogy featuring the sarcastic and caring fashionista Katla. Last year the second book, Frost, came out and now it is finally time for the third and final book in the series, Flock. The result is that I went into reading Flock with mixed emotions; I didn't want this story to end, but I definitely wanted to spend more time with Katla and find out how things turned out especially after she left behind an angry ice queen wanting revenge, and a promise to give up her baby sister to the mer queen.

When Flock begins Katla is starting her senior year of high school, and all she wants is a normal year, no supernatural adventures involved. But when she shows up, two of her Icelandic friends from last year's trip are on exchange, and one of them is a mer messenger sent to make sure she fulfills her end of the deal she made. And that means handing over her infant sister Leira, the last thing Katla intends to let happen.

As I have in the previous two books, I loved Katla's zest and passion and strength as a main character. I also loved her sense of humour. Flock did a great job of tying together loose ends from the first two books, and wrapping things up for each character. I really felt like each character had their own ending, including lots of minor ones like Jaelle and Katla's dad. But I did feel like it took a very confusing and muddled road to get there.

Honestly, there was so much new myth in Flock that I found myself really lost over what was happening at times, there were spirit journeys to foreign realms and sometimes I couldn't even get to the end of a page without having to reread it and try to figure out what was going on. It really made me miss the simplicity of Stork. However, unlike Frost I at least felt like the climax and subsequent events had the chance to unfold fully and weren't rushed.

Like always, Delsol's writing was clever and fun to read, and I thought things ended in a believable way. I loved the contemporary components of Flock, but I wanted more clarity from some of the supernatural events which occasionally became muddled as I was reading. Still, I really enjoyed the Stork trilogy, and I'm certainly going to pick up whatever Delsol writes next and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these books.

The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci and Nate Powell

The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci (Author) and Nate Powell (Illustrations)
 
Release Date: May 22nd 2012
Pages: 192
Format: E-galley
Source: NetGalley/Publisher
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Buy It: Book Depository

Every summer the trucks roll in, bringing the carnival and its infinite possibilities to town. This year Tessa and her younger sister Lulu are un-chaperoned and want to be first in line to experience the rides, the food . . . and the boys. Except this summer, jealousy will invade their relationship for the first time, setting in motion a course of events that can only end in tragedy, putting everyone's love and friendship to the test.

This is a pretty strange book, and it took me awhile to get used to– probably like three quarters of it's short, less than 200 pages– but at the end everything came together, two storylines: one in words, one in graphic novel form, and together they combined to make for a strong and emotionally compelling story.

I really felt like Castellucci, who wrote the text, captured the feeling of sisterhood and the complexities of that relationship extremely well. Lulu and Tessa have always been really close, and even if Lulu sometimes gets on her sister's nerves, Tessa loves her. But then a fateful moment at a carnival leads to Lulu beginning a relationship with Tessa's crush, the boy she wanted more than anything... and where does that leave the two of them as sisters? The jealousy that Tessa felt was so real it was painful, and even when she does manage to find a boy of her own, it does little to heal the damage that has already been done. The Year of the Beasts captures Tessa's inner conflict, her mix of happiness and anger, in an incredibly authentic and believable way.

Powell's drawings are dark and beautiful, even if I found their connection to what I thought was the "real" story to be very confusing at first. When I realized how things worked, and went back and looked at them again, I was even more impressed. Ultimately, The Year of the Beasts isn't a book that instantly blew me away, it was far more subtle in its power, but when I was finished the story I was left with a lasting and emotional image of sisterhood both from Castellucci's words and Powell's images.

Frost by Wendy Delsol

Note: This review contains no spoilers of Frost, but does contain spoilers of the first book in the series, Stork, a review of which can be found here.

Frost by Wendy Delsol

Release Date: October 11th, 2011
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: Publisher
Buy It: Book Depository

Katla Leblanc is delighted when all signs point to a busy and peaceful Christmas. But Katla’s wintry wish unexpectedly turns into the snowstorm of the century, drawing the attention of Brigid, a gorgeous environmental researcher with an unusual interest in Katla’s boyfriend, Jack.

Personally, I went into reading Frost having loved its predecessor, Stork, so much I figured it was basically impossible to top. In reality, I found that to be the case, but that doesn't mean Frost wasn't also an enjoyable, hilarious, and exciting book- it just wasn't quite another Stork for me. That said, my high expectations didn't stop from thoroughly enjoying Frost and I once again loved Delsol's writing which is hilarious and engaging.

My major problem with Frost is that it had too many subplots. One storyline would get introduced, and then placed on the back burner for most of the book, for example what happened to Hulda. I love that Delsol had so many great ideas but I think the novel would have felt a little less overwhelmed if a couple of them had been pared back. I also found the climax to be quite rushed, as I was reading I couldn't believe how few pages were left when it began to happen and the events themselves unfolded very quickly.

That said, there was still plenty I loved about Frost. Brigid was pretty much the perfect villain; her evil was palpable. I also loved how Delsol drew inspiration from an obscure (at least to me) fairytale and I felt the connection worked terrifically for the story. There also seemed to be less references to brand name clothing which I appreciated. There were also plenty of hilarious moments and the novel is full of Katla's wonderful witticisms like "Coworkers, I decided, were like bullets, best when blank."

Ultimately, as much as I enjoyed Frost it wasn't quite the novel I hoped for, as it focuses far more on the Bridget/Jack/Katla dynamic than on the Stork Society that was at the center of the first novel. Still, by the end of the book all the events have fallen into place in a way that is quite intense and leaves the reader eager for the final book in the trilogy. Even though I didn't love Frost as much as Stork I am incredibly excited for what comes next and hopeful the series will end on a high note; I know that whatever the next book contains Delsol is certain to provide rich characters, humour, and an exciting story and that is certainly something I am looking forward to.

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Release Date: October 12th, 2010
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback and Audiobook
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Source: Publisher and Personal Shelf
Buy It: Book Depository

16-year-old Katla moves from L.A. to Minnesota after her parents divorce and is inducted into the Stork Society, where women pair up unborn babies with would-be mothers. Complicating things further is Jack, the gorgeous, brooding farm boy who seems fascinated with Katla—when he's not being rude and distant.

To be honest, I was skeptical of the premise of this book. I mean, Stork- like the birds that deliver babies? Really, Delsol, really? Yes, really, and in the most intriguing and well-written way you can imagine, a fantastic twist on an old myth that is totally original. In fact, not only is Stork one of the best books I've read in 2011 but it was also incredibly hilarious to the point that I was often laughing out loud while reading, as well as being a touching story about a teenage girl in extraordinary circumstances. What I absolutely loved about this book was Katla, Wendy Delsol has a great sense of humour the way she writes Katla is snarky yet approachable and her sarcastic wit makes her one of those characters I truly wish were a real person. And she does feel real, the way she interacts with the people around her makes her easy to imagine and despite the fantastical element of the story I really felt like Katla could walk right off the page.

Of course, I have to share a few of Katla's quips, like how when she sees two people engaging in slightly too much PDA she says "Honestly, a start-of-game Jenga tower didn’t touch at that many points." or when describing the colour of a room she's just entered she say it "was painted eggplant, a bold statement, and just as difficult to decorate with as it was to make palatable. I was impressed". The only times Katla lost me was when there was excessive name-dropping, as she is a true fashionista and is often mentioning the brands of various articles of clothing in a way a fashion-ignorant person like myself could not really appreciate, and although it mostly fit within the story it did occasionally detract from the magical world Delsol had created.

Stork is one of those books that truly sparkles and one I know I'll go back and reread when I need a pick-me-up. I really have only positive things to say about this novel and I really hope you'll consider picking it up. The audiobook version is also great, it is read by Julia Whelan who I loved for Lost Voices and impresses equally here. Ultimately, Stork is a wonderful story which is accessible for young teens, old teens, or teens at heart and I will be certainly be picking up anything and everything Delsol publishes in the future but I am especially excited for the sequel, Frost.

Abandon by Meg Cabot

As insanely popular as Meg Cabot is, I honestly can't remember ever reading a book by her (with the exception of a short story in Prom Nights From Hell, which I enjoyed) although I did love the Princess Diaries movie. I was finally able to remedy that gap in my life with Abandon, Cabot's most recent release and the first novel in a trilogy which is a contemporary retelling of the Greek myth Persephone. I was particularly excited to begin Abandon because Persephone is probably my favourite myth, so I instantly curious as to what Cabot would do with the classic tale. 

Abandon begins after Pierce has moved to a new town, ready to begin a new life following her accident, living in the wealthy place where her mother grew up. Still even here, reminders of what happened to her lurk, and as the story of what happened is told through flashbacks, the reader quickly realizes one thing: Pierce have been to the Underworld, and the Underworld wants her back.

Although the premise attracted me, the actual storytelling of Abandon disappointed me. I loved Cabot's details and characters and the glimmers of the worlds she created, but all of that exterior falls flat when the storyline itself creeps along. Most of the actual action in the novel happens in flashbacks, so it is clear that Pierce survives otherwise how would she be telling this story? And that ruined a lot of the suspense for me. It also means that Pierce and the leading man, John, get very little time actually interacting (even less in the present) but the reader is supposed to be convinced by their romance, and honestly, I wasn't. My last complaint is pretty minor, but, honestly, "John"? Not the most enticing name for somebody who is supposed to be swoon-worthy, especially since Cabot was very creative in naming her main character Pierce, it just didn't fit well in my mind. There's technically nothing wrong with the name, it's just not a very exciting choice.

In addition to the original details of the story, I did find Cabot's writing smooth and easy to read. Although slow-moving, Abandon was still entertaining and I really loved Pierce as a main character and thought she was fantastically written and easy to relate to. Cabot is clearly a seasoned writer with a style that gets just the right amount of information in without overwhelming the reader, resulting in writing that is crisp and clean.

An interesting aspect that I'm still unsure how I feel about, is the fact that Pierce is actually quite familiar with the Persephone myth. I realize the novel is set in contemporary times, but it felt a little odd for her to be so aware of the story that inspired her own. I guess I'll find out if it's mentioned again and how far Cabot diverged from the original in her sequel, Underworld, which I'll certainly be picking up when it is released in 2012. With the next book in this trilogy, I can't help hoping to get one continuous story instead of alternating with flashbacks. While I don't feel Abandon was the best introduction to Cabot, it definitely offered bites of personality and creativity which I hope to see more of next time I pick up a novel by her.

Release Date: April 26th, 2011
Pages: 304
Source: ARC from Publisher
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The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood

The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus by Margaret Atwood is a part of the Cannongate Myth Series, of which I'd previously read Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles by Jeanette Winterson in which contemporary writers reinvent ancient myths. Atwood draws from Homer's The Odyssey, in which Odysseus' wife, Penelope, the daughter of King Icarus, is the quintessential faithful wife. Not so in The Penelopiad, which alternates between the perspective of Penelope and her twelve hanged maids, telling their story from the Underworld in modern times. 

Okay, so the first thing to know about this review is that I don't like Margaret Atwood. As a Canadian, I feel almost treasonous saying such a thing, but it's true. However I loved the concept of the Myth Series so much, and completely loved Weight, and the basic premise of the book sounded interesting, plus the book is insanely short in comparison to most works by Atwood, that I decided to give it a try anyway. Bad idea.

The retelling in The Penelopiad does not work well at all. Penelope has a knowledge of current events and what has gone on since her death, but these pop culture references do not add anything at all to the actual storyline, neither does any of the discussion regarding the lives Odysseus or Penelope's cousin Helen of Troy have lived since their original incarnations, so I never really understood the purpose of telling the story this way. Also, as interesting as I found the feminist imagining, most of the book came across as unfortunately whiny and the portions told from the perspective of the maids were awkwardly inserted and told in a variety of formats like a contemporary courtroom scene which seemed random and also didn't add anything to the story as a whole. Oftentimes it seemed more like Atwood was attempting to be clever than focusing on doing a good job telling the story.

I listened to The Penelopiad on audiobook, read by Laural Merlington, who did an ordinary though occasionally overly dramatic job as Penelope which worked alright for me as a reader. Unfortunately, listening to the book made the scenes featuring the chorus of maids singing together even more annoying than they would have been in print. 

The Penelopiad contains Atwood's signature verbose writing style, which flows smoothly in the portions where Penelope is speaking and occasionally contains some really beautiful phrases. The poetic prose was a reeming factor of the novel for me but there were simply too many flaws in what the writing was actually saying for me to enjoy it most of the time. The conflicting stories of Penelope and her maids were also interesting as it made the reader think about the concept of history in general; how different history may be depending on who you are hearing it from. Overall, The Penelopiad was not for me as a reader, but it offers a different take on a traditional myth that would likely be appreciated by those who usually enjoy Atwood's writing or who are particularly interested in mythology.

Read By: Laura Merlington 
Release Date: October 5th, 2005
Pages: 192 (3h 21m)
Overall: 1.5/5
Source: Audio book
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Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton is the YA debut from the author previously published as Kelly Gay in adult urban fantasy. Darkness Becomes Her is paranormal meets mythology set a decade in the future in New 2, the place left behind after hurricanes have ravaged New Orleans which has subsequently been rebuilt by nine ancient families who privately purchased the city. Strange occurrences and danger are known to lurk in New 2, but that doesn't stop Ari from entering the city in search of answers about her past. Seventeen year old Ari has never belonged, she has teal eyes and silver hair that won't be cut or dyed, and after a lifetime growing up in foster care she finally learns that the person she wants answers from- her mother- killed herself right after she gave Ari up. Ari receives a box of her mother's belongings and with them comes a note, a simple message, Run. That's when she knows she has no choice but to go to New 2 and find the hospital where she was born, hopefully finding out who she really is and who is after her. 

I was initially really excited by Darkness Becomes Her which manages to combine traditional paranormal characters like vampires with more unexpected Greek mythology. I also really loved the idea of this hardcore main character, Ari, who has silver hair and works part time as a bail bondsman for her foster parents and is not afraid of using a gun. Unfortunately there are many major issues with the actual novel. Most of the characters are poorly developed, and there is a rushed romance between Ari and a boy she meets in New 2, Sebastian. Keaton take time to develop tension between Ari and Sebastian, rather she has them immediately making out for unclear reasons beyond the fact that Sebastian smells good. 

There is also a lot of swearing in Darkness Becomes Her, and although I don't mind profanity I don't think it's great at letting the reader know a lot about a character and in this case felt like lazy writing. For example, Ari is up against the goddess Athena, but repeatedly having Ari call her a bitch didn't make me hate her anymore, just like writing "fuck" is a terribly obvious way to let the reader know Ari's pissed off. I wish Keaton had relied slightly more on description and slightly less on profanity when telling her story, perhaps it would have resulted in richer character development which was sorely lacking.

Darkness Becomes Her is based on the intriguing premise of throwing paranormal and mythological creatures together, and although I found that concept interesting it was very poorly executed. Ari goes from living in a normal world to battling it out with the goddess Athena and she doesn't even seem that surprised that her world has been turned upside down. The biggest issue however, is that there is simply too much story for this one small book. There are too many different characters and too many plot lines. As soon as I found something I was enjoying in Darkness Becomes Her- for example, Ari's relationship with the young Violet, a girl with fangs and a pet alligator who is my favourite character by far- I was immediately tossed into another scene featuring a vampire orgy. Granted, Darkness Becomes Her is the first book in the "Gods & Monsters" series, but it felt like Keaton was trying to fit so much back story into this one novel it overwhelmed the reader, with the result being that the aspects I did enjoy didn't get the attention I felt they deserved. Ultimately, Darkness Becomes Her fails because it takes on too much, so even though it has an original concept the rushed romance and poorly developed characters mean I am unlikely to pick up the next book in this series.

Release Date: February 22nd, 2011

Pages: 288
Overall: 2/5
Source: E-galley from publisher
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